We get five minutes. Then we're done.
Updated: 9 hours ago
"I am where I am supposed to be."
đź–¤ From Jen:Â Bring the Sage.
Hi BEAUTISTA Fam,
Friends of ours in town have been going through a rough few months. You know those seasons where it feels like nothing is going your way? Bad news. Their kids getting disappointing news. One thing after another. They were talking to Matt about it and, OF COURSE, Matt decided to tell them that I am a huge believer in energy and that every once in a while when things feel heavy in our house, I burn sage.
When Matt came home and told me this, I was mortified. I was like, “MATT! Do these people think I’m a witch now?!” :)
But yes, it is true. When it feels like everybody in our house is in a funk, the weeks have been heavy or we just cannot seem to shake the negative energy, I bring out the sage. For anyone who has no idea what I’m talking about, it is literally a bundle of dried sage that you light, let smolder and walk through the house with. I open the windows, walk from room to room and imagine all of the heaviness leaving.
Do I think sage is MAGIC? No. For me, it is a mindset reset. Something about opening the windows, clearing the house and deciding, “Okay, we are DONE with this energy,” makes everything feel lighter. Is the house actually different five minutes later? Who knows. What matters is that my brain thinks we turned the page.
Because one of the things I have learned is that one bad thing can happen, and then your brain can spend the rest of the day collecting evidence that EVERYTHING is going wrong. That is where mindset matters. Not because you can magically make the hard thing disappear, but because you can stop feeding it.
Well, apparently our friends were officially sick and tired of being sick and tired because after Matt told them this, they started texting me asking when I was coming over and telling me, “Bring the sage!” So Matt and I drove over. We sat with them for a while and they started telling us everything that had been going wrong. One piece of bad news after another. Things with the kids. Things not working out. Disappointments. It reminded me of when you are already late and somehow hit EVERY SINGLE RED LIGHT. And then they said that they talk about everything that is going wrong ALL DAY LONG. They wake up talking about it. Something reminds them of it and they talk about it again. They analyze it. Replay it. Talk about what should have happened. Talk about what might happen next. By the end of the day, they have lived the same bad news 15 times.
Matt and I shared that years ago when we were in one of those seasons ourselves, we created something we call the five-minute rule. If something bad happens, you get five minutes. Complain. Be mad. Cry. Say every single thing you need to say. Set a timer. Five minutes. And then we are done talking about it for the day. Not because you are pretending it didn’t happen. Not because you suddenly have to be positive and grateful and act like life is AMAZING. It is because something hard already happened once. You do not have to keep making yourself experience it over and over and over again for the rest of the day.
We also started teaching ourselves to picture negative conversation like smoke filling a room. Once you become aware of it, you start noticing it EVERYWHERE. Sometimes it is the people around you. Sometimes it is your social media feed. Sometimes YOU are the one filling the room with it. Once you can see it, you have a choice. Stay in it, leave it, change the conversation or use your five minutes and move on.Â
Then my friend asked me something harder. “But how do you let go of that feeling that everything is crumbling around you?” And that is where we started talking about surrender. This has probably been one of the biggest mindset shifts Matt and I have made over the past few years. Somewhere along the way, “I am where I am supposed to be” became one of our mantras.
Literally the day before this conversation, we were rushing out of the house to get to our nephew’s football game. We were already late. I was running through the garage when this huge mirror on the wall wobbled, hit a big vase underneath it and smashed the vase into a MILLION pieces. So now we weren’t a little late. We were VERY late. The old versions of us would have been furious. We would have picked up every piece annoyed, rushed around stressed, complained about how of COURSE this would happen when we were already late, gotten in the car irritated and probably talked about it halfway to the game.
Instead, we cleaned it up together. We talked. We sang. We vacuumed. And we kept saying, “We are where we are supposed to be.” Do I know that the vase broke because leaving five minutes later kept us from getting into an accident? Of course not. Maybe it did. Maybe it didn’t. That really isn’t the point. The point is that believing I am where I am supposed to be stopped a broken vase from hijacking the rest of our day. That is surrender.
It is saying, “This is what is happening right now. I can fight reality, get angry that this is not what I planned and spiral over everything that should have happened differently, OR I can accept where I am and decide how I want to show up from here.” Think about all of the things that had to happen exactly the way they did for some of the best things in your life to exist. Think about how two people meet and eventually fall in love. One different decision. One missed invitation. One extra red light. Five minutes earlier or later and maybe their lives never cross. We will never understand how every moment connects. So when I hit the red light now, I try not to fight the red light. Maybe I am exactly where I am supposed to be.Â
And this reminded me of something I used to say ALL THE TIME: the only way out is through. There is a story about bison and cattle in a storm that I have always loved. When a winter storm rolls in, cattle tend to run away from the wind and weather, while bison turn toward it and move into it. I think about it like this, when you spend all of your energy trying to outrun the storm, you can end up staying in it longer. The bison faces what is coming and moves THROUGH it.
Because there are seasons in life that are going to suck. There is no sage, mantra, necklace or mindset trick that means hard things will stop happening to you. Sometimes there is a storm. And the only way out is through it. Put your head down. Face it. Do the hard thing. Have the uncomfortable conversation. Feel disappointed. Cry. Be pissed for five minutes. And then keep moving through the storm. The mindset tools are not there to convince you the storm isn’t happening. They are there to help you keep moving while it is.
I have done versions of this with my kids forever. Big game? Hard test? Dealing with mean kids? Sometimes I give them something. A necklace. A coin. Some tiny thing and a story about what I want them to remember when they walk out the door. Is the necklace actually going to make the test easier? Obviously not. But they walk out differently. Their shoulders are a little higher. They believe they can handle what is coming. And 90% of the time, they come home telling me it went better than they thought it would.
That is what I think people sometimes misunderstand about mindset. The sage does not have to magically clear the energy for it to work for me. The necklace does not have to contain superpowers for it to work for my kids. The ritual interrupts the pattern. The belief changes the way you walk into what happens next. And once your mindset changes, you start looking for different evidence. You start noticing the silver lining instead of collecting proof that everything is going wrong. You stop turning every red light into another example of your terrible luck. You stop spending the entire day talking about the thing that already happened.
You take some of your power back. And that night with our friends, none of us could magically change the things that had happened over the past few months. We couldn’t change the disappointing news or make every problem disappear. But we could change what happened NEXT. We could stop spending every day replaying all of it, stop looking for more proof that everything was going wrong and start believing that maybe this was a hard season they were moving THROUGH, not the new story of their life.
And yes, before we left, we burned the sage. :) Did the sage fix anything? Of course not. But I think that was the whole point. It gave us a moment to say, “Okay. Enough. We are turning the page from here.”
The lesson was that these tools are NOT meant to keep you in some permanent positive zone where nothing bothers you and life always goes your way. That is not real life. Bad things happen. Disappointments happen. Your kids get hurt. Plans fall apart. Sometimes you hit every red light. Sometimes the vase shatters when you are already late. You can’t always choose what happens. But you can choose how much life you give it after it happens.
Use the five-minute rule. Open the windows. Burn the sage. Get off the negative group text. Change what you are feeding your brain. Surrender to where you are.
When life throws up another red light, remind yourself: I am where I am supposed to be. And when you are in the middle of the storm, stop wasting your energy trying to outrun it. Turn toward it. Keep moving. The only way out is through.
I am where I am supposed to be. The only way out is through.
xoxo,
Jen MartinelliÂ
🚀 The Shift: Weekly Mindset + Strategy Upgrade.
Stop Feeding the Spiral
This week, pay attention to how much extra life you are giving the things that go wrong.
The annoying email. The client who cancelled. The argument with your partner. The employee issue. The bad news. The red light when you are already late. Something happens once, but how many times do you make yourself experience it again by replaying it, retelling it and looking for more proof that the whole day is going wrong?
Try the five-minute rule. When something happens, give yourself five minutes. Be mad. Complain. Cry. Vent. Say what you need to say. If you need to, literally set the timer.
Then ask yourself: Am I solving this now, or am I just feeding it? If there is something you can actually DO, do it. Have the conversation. Fix the mistake. Make the call. Solve the problem.
But if there is nothing left to do right now, stop giving it more energy. Then create your own reset. Maybe you take a walk. Change the music. Get off social media. Step outside. Open the windows. Burn the sage. :) The ritual itself matters less than what you are telling your brain: We are not staying here all day.
And if you feel yourself slipping into “Of COURSE this is happening to me” or “Everything is going wrong,” borrow one of mine: I am where I am supposed to be.
Or, if you are in the middle of something you simply have to get through:
The only way out is through. The goal is not to force yourself to feel positive when something sucks. The goal is to stop one hard moment from becoming the story of your entire day.
Your shift this week: Feel it. Deal with it. Give it five minutes. Then stop feeding it.
🎙️ In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)
Missed a class this week? No problem. There was A LOT happening, and the replays are waiting for you on demand.
L’Oréal Professionnel | Metal Detox Certification
Learn what metal buildup inside the hair fiber can do to breakage and color results, how to use the Metal Detox regimen, build an at-home routine for clients and earn a certificate of completion.Â
SalonInteractive | Unwrap More Sales: A Salon’s Guide to Holiday Retail
Holiday retail season is HERE. Learn simple ways to keep product purchases connected to your business, create gift-ready shopping moments and stay top of mind between appointments.Â
Joico | Seasonless Express Balayage
Placement hacks, tone and contrast strategies, seamless grow-out and blends you can customize for any season, vibe or client.
Magic Sleek | Essentials: Mastering the System for All Hair Types
Learn the Magic Sleek system from consultation through application and customization, plus how to price and position the service behind the chair.Â
Matrix | Haircare: Features, Benefits & Solutions
Get better at matching haircare to different client needs AND weaving retail naturally into consultations, treatments and styling.
Pulp Riot | Pulp Alchemy en Español
A Spanish-language deep dive into Pulp Riot, including the brand story, product lineup and a multi-product color technique.Â
Living Proof | Advanced Blow Dry Techniques
Yesterday’s style does not always need a full redo. Learn refresh techniques, blow-dry tricks and time-saving styling hacks for busy salon days.
UNITE | Unlocked: Stylist Training Session
Step inside the UNITE world with product knowledge, brand education and styling techniques designed to help you use the line more confidently behind the chair.Â
Mizani | Texture Set Hairstyling Essentials
Learn foundational set-styling techniques for different textures, plus home care, longevity, service pricing and retail.Â
Redken | Shades ALK Pro Connect
Get familiar with NEW Shades ALK, the science behind alkaline demi color and how it can fit into your existing service menu.Â
Biolage | Precision Texture & Scalp Science
Take a scalp-first approach to texture. Learn scalp analysis, the relationship between scalp health and texture performance, personalized regimens and service opportunities.
K18 | Style Lab: K18 and the Art of Repair
From textured hair to color, cutting and styling, learn how to integrate K18 repair into services, communicate the benefits to clients and build the business behind it.
Redken | Shades EQ Pro Connect
Build your glossing confidence with Shades EQ and Shades EQ Bonder Inside, then learn how to turn that knowledge into more color possibilities and services.Â
Redken | Signature Brunette Highlights & Lowlights with @adriennedara + @maggiemh
From lifting deeper brunettes to bringing summer blondes back to rich dimension, this one covers formulations, airtouch, strategic placement and those expensive-looking brunette tones clients are asking for.Â
OLAPLEX | Elevated Event Styling: Where Science Meets Style
Hair health meets event styling. Think voluminous blowouts, glass-hair finishes and ways to combine styling + treatment into a more premium service.Â
Verb | Up-Do Styling: Bridal and Beyond
’90s glamour meets modern bridal. Learn statement updos and event styling techniques using Verb.Â
KEVIN.MURPHY | GLOSS
Dive into COLOR.ME GLOSS, including product technology, mixing, formulation, customization and different service opportunities you can build around it.
K18 University | Intro to Innovative Haircare
Understand hair damage through biotechnology, the science behind K18PEPTIDE™ and K18REPAIR™, and how to integrate K18 into services while building the business around it.
There is SO much education sitting there on demand. Pick the one that solves something you’re working on right now and go learn something. :)
(And if you're a salon owner, school leader, or educator—share these with your team. One class can change a service. A habit of learning can change a career.)
đź’» Tech-Forward:
Where tech meets beauty (and your next big move begins).
Stop Asking AI Questions. Give It a Job.
A lot of people are still using AI one task at a time.
“Write this caption.”
“Help me respond to this email.”
“Give me 10 marketing ideas.”
“Make me a schedule.”
Useful? Absolutely. But the bigger shift happening with AI right now is that we are moving from asking it for answers to giving it responsibility.
AI agents are being built to take a goal, work through multiple steps, use connected tools and handle repeatable workflows like reviewing leads, creating reports, summarizing requests and taking actions with human oversight.
For a salon, spa, suite or barbershop owner, I think that changes the question.
Instead of asking, “What can AI help me do?” Start asking, “What am I doing every single week that I should not still be doing manually?”
Think about all the things that eat up your time. Marketing. Team communication. Following up with leads. Looking at numbers. Creating schedules. Writing emails. Planning promotions. Reviewing what worked last month. Answering the same questions over and over. Then give AI the bigger picture.
TRY THIS PROMPT:
I own a [SALON / SPA / SUITE / BARBERSHOP]. I want you to act as my business operations and growth partner.
My biggest goals for the next 90 days are: [GOALS]
My biggest challenges are: [CHALLENGES]
These are the tasks that take up the most time every week: [PASTE THEM]
Tell me which 5 of these tasks AI could realistically help me with NOW, which ones could eventually be handled by an AI agent, and which ones should stay human.
For each one, show me exactly how I should use AI to take work off my plate. Tell me what information I need to give you, what the workflow should look like, what I still need to approve or review, and how often I should run it.
Then rank the 5 opportunities by which would save me the most time or have the biggest impact on my business.
If AI tells you it could help with your weekly marketing plan, ask it to build the workflow. If it says it can help you review your numbers every Monday, ask what information it needs from you. If it identifies something you are spending three hours on every week that could become a 20-minute review, START THERE. Because I think this is where business owners are going to get the biggest advantage from AI.
We are moving from asking AI for answers to giving it responsibility. And for anyone running a beauty business while also being the marketer, manager, recruiter, customer service department, content creator and sometimes the person cleaning up at the end of the night... that could be a pretty big deal.
What we're learning from Hiring  Funnels:Â
70 Leads. 4 Hires. Still Interviewing.
We don't usually share results mid-campaign — but this one is too good to wait.
A Brooklyn salon running a boosted campaign just crossed 4 hires from 70 leads. And they're still interviewing.
What made it work wasn't just the campaign. It was what the campaign was pointing to. Their career opportunity answered every question a serious candidate would ask before applying: what will I earn, where will I grow, what does this place actually stand for? It wasn't a job posting. It was a story — with a real path, real education, real proof that people have grown there.
That's what converts.
70 leads sounds like a number. But behind it are real licensed professionals who saw something they wanted to be part of, built their portfolio, and raised their hand. 4 of them are already hired. More conversations are happening.
That's the funnel working the way it's supposed to.
🔥 What’s Happening:
Virtual Live Events You Don’t Want to Miss
Next Live Virtual Classes
There is a LOT happening next week. Cutting, color, texture, scalp, styling, business and even a certification. Pick what you need right now and get it on your calendar.
Amika | Cutting with Intention Sneak Peek
Monday, October 5 | 11:00 AM ET
Go beyond copying a haircut and learn the WHY behind the cut, including how one core technique impacts shape, weight and movement.
VoCĂŠ Haircare | Styling & Extensions Intensive
Monday, October 5 | 11:00 AM ET
Learn how to create natural, lasting volume without overloading the hair, plus styling techniques your clients can recreate at home and retail opportunities behind the chair.
OLAPLEX | Transform Your Business: The Business of Backbar
Monday, October 5 | 11:00 AM ET OR Tuesday, October 6 | 11:00 AM ET
Turn the backbar into more than product storage. Learn how treatment menus, stronger consultations and smarter marketing can turn existing appointments into higher-value services.Â
Verb | Spooky Styles with the Ghost Collection
Monday, October 5 | 11:00 AM ET
Ghost Month is here. Learn fun, spooky-inspired styles while getting hands-on education around Verb’s best-selling Ghost collection.Â
KEVIN.MURPHY | LEARN.ME
Monday, October 5 | 12:00 PM ET
Get inside the KEVIN.MURPHY brand, products, regimens, styling tools and techniques so you can make stronger recommendations and solve more client needs behind the chair.
Mizani | Trend Curl Cutting & Highlights with Tippi Shorter
Monday, October 5 | 12:00 PM ET
Preview Mizani’s Aircut method and five glide techniques for creating movement in textured hair, then learn how color can enhance curl patterns while maintaining integrity.
Pureology | Color Care Certification
Monday, October 5 | 1:30 PM ET
Learn why color fades, how to help prevent it, how to build better at-home care recommendations and earn your Color Care Certification.
Bonika Shears | Shear Knowledge: Mastering the Care and Truth About Your Shears
Monday, October 5 | 3:00 PM ET
Your shears are an investment. Learn daily care, edge types, simple adjustments you can make yourself and what you REALLY need to know about sharpening.Â
Redken | ColoraciĂłn Profesional ConexiĂłn
Tuesday, October 6 | 11:00 AM ET
A Spanish-language Redken color class covering Shades EQ, NEW Shades ALK, formulation, levels, tones and the fundamentals for more consistent color results.Â
Malibu C Professional | Science of Scalp Wellness: Malibu C Head Lab
Tuesday, October 6 | 12:00 PM ET
Scalp care continues to grow. Learn how to bring scalp-focused services into the salon, create healthier hair outcomes and build new service and revenue opportunities.
Bumble and bumble | Short Cuts
Tuesday, October 6 | 12:00 PM ET
Because sometimes the breakup haircut really IS a good idea. :) Learn short-cut customization techniques designed to make the chop feel intentional, modern and completely personal.Â
Matrix | Super Sync & Tonal Control 101
Tuesday, October 6 | 1:00 PM ET
Acidic vs. alkaline demi color, when to use each, formulation basics, mixing, processing and how to use demi color to grow and retain clients.
L’Oréal Professionnel | The Art of Editorial Hair by Jawara Wauchope
Wednesday, October 7 | 2:30 PM ET
Step backstage into editorial hair with Jawara Wauchope and learn how to sculpt shape, amplify finish and turn texture into high-fashion hair built for the runway, studio and screen.
Matrix | Haircolor For All
Wednesday, October 7 | 3:30 PM ET
Build your Matrix color foundation with SoColor, Super Sync and Tonal Control, including the science, mixing, processing, formulas and tips that can boost confidence behind the chair.
Redken | Shades EQ Pro Connect
Thursday, October 8 | 1:00 PM ET
Get stronger at seamless glossing with Shades EQ and Shades EQ Bonder Inside, then learn how to turn that knowledge into more color possibilities and revenue behind the chair.
Mizani | Curl Haircutting Foundations
Thursday, October 8 | 2:00 PM ET
Learn Mizani’s five-glide Aircut system for textured hair, create shape and movement and position texture cutting as a premium service.
GHD | The Modern Blowout & Time Saving Styles
Thursday, October 8 | 3:00 PM ET
Go beyond the basic blowout with techniques for building texture, shape and movement, plus new ways to create versatile looks faster.
Whatever you’re trying to get better at right now, there is probably a class for it this week.Â
And yep... they’re ALL FREE on BEAUTISTA.
(And if you’re reading this as a salon owner or educator — send your team. One class can shift an entire culture.)
đź‘€ Watch This Space
(Jobs Worth Seeing)
đź‘€ Watch This SpaceÂ
Decibel™ | Independent Sales Consultant
Freelance | 17 markets across CA, FL, MN, TX, UT + WA
Independent Sales Consultant | Full-Time or Part-Time
This week’s opportunity is a little different, and I LOVE that.
Not every career move in beauty has to mean another salon chair. Sometimes the relationships, credibility and industry knowledge you have already built can open an entirely different door.
Decibel™ is expanding its independent sales network across the U.S. and looking for beauty industry professionals who already know their local salon community. The brand was created by award-winning hairdresser Jonelle Sampson and industry veteran Michael Sampson and is completely focused on one category: VOLUME.
Their professional service is just three steps and five minutes at the backbar, giving salons another service and revenue opportunity while introducing something genuinely different to clients.
What caught my attention about this one is WHO it could be right for. Maybe you are already an educator or independent rep. Maybe you have spent years behind the chair and have relationships with salons all over your market. Maybe you love this industry but have been wondering what else you could build beyond your book of clients.
A few things that stood out:
Independent, commission-based opportunity
35% commission on sales
Build your own local salon relationships and accounts
Introduce + demonstrate the Decibel™ professional service
Provide education to salon professionals
Grow ongoing service + retail business
Open to beauty pros with 2+ years of industry experience
Currently expanding in Miami, Dallas/Arlington, Austin, Houston, Minneapolis/St. Paul/Edina, Seattle, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco/Marin, Santa Barbara/Ventura/Oxnard and Salt Lake City
I also love that this is another example of how many directions a beauty career can go. Your industry experience does not only qualify you to DO beauty. It can qualify you to educate, sell, represent brands, build markets and create completely new income streams from relationships you have spent years building.
🎤 Educators Wanted: Your Dream Role Just Went Live
Ready to teach, inspire, and represent iconic brands?
💥 Educator roles at Kérastase are now LIVE on BEAUTISTA.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a rising educator, this is your moment.
🔦 BEAUTISTA Spotlight
Samia Benmostefa 📍New York, NY
Hairstylist, Manager + Educator
Samia Benmostefa’s career has literally taken her around the world.
She started dreaming about hair at 14, trained in Paris, worked in Marseille, managed teams and became a co-owner. Then her career took her to Singapore and Hong Kong, where she worked with new techniques, different hair types and clients from all different cultures. Today, she is building the next chapter of her career in New York.
What I love about Samia’s portfolio is that you can SEE the experience behind the work. She specializes in color, balayage, highlights and natural, personalized looks, but her story is bigger than the services she offers. She has spent more than a decade learning how different people experience beauty in different parts of the world.
And she already knows where she wants all of that experience to take her. Her dream is to eventually create a salon of her own, with high-quality services and an environment where people feel comfortable and confident. As she says in her portfolio, “Hair is more than style, it’s an identity.”
Samia has also worked as a manager, hairstylist and educator, completed L’Oréal Professionnel/NAMI Head Up, and built a portfolio full of work that shows what she can do.
Paris. Marseille. Singapore. Hong Kong. Now New York.
I have a feeling there are still a few cities left in Samia’s story. :)
👉 Connect with Samia, explore her portfolio, and follow her journey on BEAUTISTA.
Want this for your students?
Reach out to  hello@beautista.com and we’ll show you how to make it happen.
đź’« WE WANT TO FEATURE YOU
 Have a story about how BEAUTISTA helped or inspired your career? Email us at hello@beautista.com to be spotlighted in an upcoming issue.
đź’ˇ BEAUTISTA Tips & Tricks
Your portfolio link is your secret weapon.
Applying for an award, a job or a competition? Skip the resume and send your BEAUTISTA portfolio link. It shows your work, your story and your license in one place.
Go to beautista.com/portfolio.
Click Share, then Share my portfolio link, and paste it anywhere.
Your link works even if your portfolio is private. Set it to Public if you also want salons and brands to find you in search.
Haven't built yours yet?Â
Head to beautista.com/portfolio and connect a public Instagram. Our AI builder fills it in for you in minutes.
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Share The TRIMMÂ with a fellow BEAUTISTA and help them grow, too.
Want more? Read last week's newsletter here.
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